Cohors Reformata (Post Marian Legionary Cohort)
|-|EB1= |-|EB2= Roman legionnaires are now uniformly equipped and trained to an equal high standard. Now they can easily be considered the most disciplined and most versatile heavy infantry in the world. Description Besides the regions of Italia, that now have collectively gained citizenship, they can be recruited in all fully Romanized provinces of the Imperium Romanum, where great numbers of our citizens have now their home. Roman legionnaires are now uniformly equipped with two pila, a gladius, and an elliptical scutum around 1.28m high. Their main armour still remains a coat of lorica hamata (chain mail) and a Montefortino-type helmet. The high quality of the legions equipment has become one of the great strengths of the Roman infantry, besides their strict discipline. In battle they will throw their pila as soon as the enemy comes in range to soften his formation and then engage at close quarters. Historically, the organization of the legion began to change at the end of the 2nd century BC and in the early 1st century BC all but the heavy infantry had disappeared. The Hastati, Principes and Triarii were now all equipped in the same manner and only their names remained. Three of their maniples, each increased in size to 160 men, now formed one cohort, the new main tactical unit of the Roman infantry, besides the now 80 men strong centuria. However, in most times the late republican legions did not reach their theoretical strength, and around 400 men per cohort was far more common. These changes offered much more tactical flexibility to the legion. Instead of being limited to a three line battle formation, the soldiers could be positioned as easily in one, two, or even more lines. A cohort was big enough to operate separated from the main army, to perform smaller tasks independently. To reduce the legion's vulnerable baggage train and increase the mobility of the troops, the legionnaires now had to carry as much of their equipment as possible by themselves. They received the nickname “mules mariani”, the "mules of Marius," for the nearly 50 Kg they carried. The long time they normally had to serve made it possible to train all soldiers to an equally high standard in the whole army. This, and the heavy load they have to carry, gave them their unrivalled endurance. Experts in siege warfare, artillery, and other engineering tasks could be found in the ranks of the legion, and all contubernia, the eight men strong basic logistical unit of the army, were equipped with tools and valli for the fast construction of field fortifications. After these changes the Roman legionnaires could easily be considered the most disciplined and most versatile heavy infantry in the world. The problem of the late republic to find enough men who fulfilled the property requirements to serve as heavy infantry in the many and continuous wars the masters of the Mediterranean world now had to fight was one of the main reasons that reforms in the army had become inevitable. Earlier attempts to increase the number of suitable small farmers through land reforms by the Gracchi were blocked by senate, as many senators owned great latifundia now sprawling all over Italy. So all property requirements were given up and volunteers from all social classes were welcomed as well as the conscripts, while the state or their generals paid for their equipment. The senate had refused to bear the incalculable able costs for the veterans so that the generals had to take care of them. The loyalty of these men shifted more and more to charismatic leaders that they were now depending on, preparing the ground for many bloody civil wars of the 1st century BC. Usage These men are undoubtedly one of the most well armed and disciplined heavy infantry in the game. They are very capable of holding the line against the enemy in guard mode while raining death upon heavy infantry or cavalry with their armor-piercing pila. and they are no slouch as assault units due the amount of armor they have and the power of their swords. Also, possessing the Testudo formation(Only available in EB1) makes them immune to missile attacks, very handy in siege battles to waste the ammo of archers and slings while also preventing enemy towers from attacking any of your approaching units with ladders or siege towers and also very valuable against horse-archer focused factions like the Pahlava and the Sauromatae. Make sure to disengage the formation to prevent melee infantry and heavy cavalry from attacking them. Also, They are still highly vulnerable to flank or rear attacks by armor-piercing units such as axemen and clubmen and for all their armor they are still vulnerable to ranged attacks from the rear and sides although not as bad as other units in the same situation. All-in-all, a unit quite true to its reputations as a battle winner for the Romani faction. Category:Units Category:Romani Category:Eleutheroi